Level up your game and learn not only from game developers! | Gamedev Dairy #73
Hacks for learning, productivity, having work-life-passion balance and finally game development!
TL;DR
Where to find inspiration?
Some examples
Conclusions
Recommendations
Where to find inspiration?
In writing class, you might sometimes hear that if you want to write science-fiction, you should read books from other genres, be it mystery or romance.
This way they'll get inspired by things that can enhance their writing. I like to think, that a good example of this would be Stephen King who enhanced horror with real-life drama.
You might wonder... But games were already enhanced by real-life drama! Yes, but I don't want to suggest what topic we should do (even if I sometimes do). I'm more focused on the mindset.
One can learn from many sources, I look up to solopreneurs and hustlers!
You might say that there are no common spaces between them and game developers. And in part, you’d be right. But it’s what’s outside of programming that interests me.
Allow me to introduce two of them:
Josh Spector
Actually, it’s a link you can click ;-)
He can teach you a lot about marketing and change your perspective on many things. He has a great newsletter, which is very short, inspiring, and informative.
Jamie Northrup aka The Minimalist Hustler
You can click this one too ;-)
An inspiring fellow who mastered the art of earning more by doing less. None of his hustles have something to do with gamedev (or so I think), but there is still so much to learn, starting with how he makes stuff easier to implement; a very useful skill when you try to put game development between work, life, and balance. Also very short and concise, with lots of interesting content.
Bonus: John Braat
Exactly! Click it! ;-)
A minimalist and humble solopreneur, who sometimes shares his thoughts via a newsletter. Good insight, but longer than the other two :-)
Conclusions
Sooner or later one will have to do things different than making a game, be it marketing or something. Not to mention, whatever you're doing someone might be doing faster / easier / better. Learning from them gives you one benefit: you can do the things you don’t like and focus on what you like doing in game creation.
Recommendations
Don’t you just love how Nintendo’s cuteness hides the darkness we all crave for? ;-)
It’s funny how automation is considered the source of a boring life in the future by these kids. I’d say, automation is what allows us to do stuff we can’t because of the dull stuff we need to do.
Here’s some eye candy, if you like samurai movies.